Engineer on New Spacecraft Development

Attendees of the chapter's July meeting received an update on the Boeing Company's CST-100 spacecraft for NASA's manned spaceflight programs. Derek Otermat, ground systems engineer, described the vehicle, showing photos of its development. Boeing is one of three companies competing to build the spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the international space station. Looking much like the Project Apollo command module, the CST-100 would carry up to seven astronauts at a time, along with cargo. If Boeing gets the contract, the CST-100 would fly atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first test flight currently is set for the end of 2016. Otermat said that pilots would be actively participating in design and flight planning starting in 2014. Boeing is proud that the crew module is being constructed without welds, which require exceptional skill to be usable in the vacuum of space. In chapter business, long-time Publicity and Liaison Chairman J.P. (Andy) Anderson announced his retirement and asked the group for a volunteer to replace him.

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